If you've been watching professional golf over the last few years, you've likely heard a particular chant follow one of the game's most unique stars: Brooksie! This single word became one of the most talked-about phenomena in the sport, but what exactly does it mean and where did it come from? This article breaks down the complete story behind the Brooksie chant, from the on-camera eye-roll that started it all to how it became a defining part of a modern golf rivalry.
To understand the "Brooksie" chant, you have to go back to May 2021 at the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island. Tensions between two of golf's major champions, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau, had been simmering for a while. They were two completely different personalities. Koepka positioned himself as an old-school, stoic jock who just went out and played, while DeChambeau was the cerebral, analytical "golf scientist," obsessed with physics, biomechanics, and bulking up for faster swing speeds. Their differences had led to minor spats before, most notably over DeChambeau's pace of play, but nothing had truly boiled over into the public eye until one fateful interview.
After his second round, Koepka was giving a post-round interview with Golf Channel. He was seemingly mid-thought when DeChambeau walked behind him. As DeChambeau passed, the sound of his metal spikes clacking on the pavement could be heard, along with a quiet, anodyne comment. Koepka, clearly annoyed, lost his train of thought completely. He paused, closed his eyes in exasperation, and rolled them so hard it was a wonder they stayed in his head. "I lost my train of thought hearing that bullsh*t," he muttered under his breath, visibly shaken with irritation. "F**king Christ."
The clip was an internal video, not meant for broadcast. But this is the internet age. Of course, it leaked. And once it did, a private moment of annoyance became a public declaration of war. That iconic eye-roll was the spark that would soon light a massive fire in the galleries.
Once the video went viral, the feud spilled out onto social media. It was playground-level stuff, amplified to millions of followers. Koepka, capitalizing on the moment, tweeted a meme simply saying, "Sorry bro @AaronRodgers12," apologizing to his partner for "The Match" because it appeared he was living rent-free in DeChambeau's head. It was a clear, direct shot at Bryson.
The back-and-forth escalated. DeChambeau, in a streamed video, made a crack about Koepka's physique, saying something along the lines of, "I don't know if his abs are any good." Koepka fired back by posting a video of his four major trophies, with the caption, "2 of them right-handed." It was a classic alpha-male showdown playing out in an online arena. Each player knew what they were doing - building their brand, leaning into the conflict, and entertaining the golf world in a way it hadn't seen in a long time.
Then, the fans decided to get involved directly.
A few weeks after the viral video, at the Memorial Tournament hosted by Jack Nicklaus, the feud moved from the internet to the fairways. A small group of fans around the greens began taunting DeChambeau. Their weapon of choice? Simple, effective, and deeply annoying: they just started yelling "Brooksie!" after his shots.
It was perfect. The name was so harmless on its own, yet in this context, it was a sharp pin designed to prick the balloon of DeChambeau's intense focus. It was a reminder of his rival, of the viral moment, and of the public's perception of him. And it worked. DeChambeau, who famously tries to control every variable on the course, couldn't control the crowd. He and his caddie were reportedly seen talking to security, asking for fans to be removed. One report claimed a fan was kicked out for just yelling the name.
This is where Koepka decided to pour gasoline on the fire. Hearing reports that fans were being ejected, he posted a video to his social media channels thanking them for their "support." He announced a partnership with Michelob Ultra to give a free case of beer to any fan "whose day was cut short" at the tournament. All they had to do was send him proof they were removed. The message was clear: Koepka was not only condoning the chant, he was encouraging and rewarding it. He effectively weaponized the gallery against his biggest rival.
DeChambeau's frustration was palpable. As a player who prides himself on concentration, the constant heckling from the gallery was a significant mental battle. He made it clear he didn't like it. He complained to tournament officials and seemed genuinely bothered by it. For DeChambeau, what started as a joke was turning into legitimate harassment during his workday.
The "Brooksie" chants followed him from tournament to tournament. At the BMW Championship, it got so bad that PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan stepped in. He announced that yelling "Brooksie" at a player would be considered "disrespectful or harassing" behavior and that offenders would be removed from the grounds. He framed it as an issue of fan conduct and respect for the game.
However, telling a group of people not to do something is often the surest way to get them to do it. The Tour's heavy-handed response only made the chant more popular and transformed it into a symbol of a different kind - a rebellious act against what some fans felt was an overly stuffy, sanitized organization. Trying to ban it turned a simple heckle into an act of free speech, however silly. The harder the Tour pushed back, the more the chant was seen as a victory for the "common fan" over the establishment.
What was once just about annoying Bryson was now also about poking the Tour itself. The chant had taken on a life of its own.
For months, the rivalry was один of the biggest stories in golf. It raised a serious question: what would happen at the 2021 Ryder Cup, where both Koepka and DeChambeau were key members of Team USA? Could two players who so openly disliked each other come together to represent their country?
Team captain Steve Stricker made it clear he expected them to bury the hatchet for the team's sake. And, somewhat surprisingly, they did. After a dominant victory for Team USA at Whistling Straits, the two shared a strange, slightly awkward hug during the celebration press conference, declaring the feud over. Whether it was a genuine moment of professional reconciliation or simply a piece of public relations theater, it signaled a ceasefire.
The truce became even more real when both players made the controversial jump to LIV Golf. Suddenly, they were no longer rivals on competing tours but colleagues in a disruptive new league. As captains of their own LIV teams - Koepka's Smash GC and DeChambeau's Crushers GC - they were now part of the same team, business-wise. They started practicing together, appearing in content together, and trading the animosity for a working partnership.
The "Brooksie" chant has since faded, an artifact of a specific, heated time in golf history. It remains a fascinating example of how a modern rivalry, amplified by social media and fan participation, can create a story bigger than any single tournament.
The story of "Brooksie" is about more than just a name. It's a tale of a personal feud that went viral, a savvy athlete who turned public opinion into a weapon, and the power of fans to directly impact the action inside the ropes. It highlights a strange and entertaining chapter where social media beef spilled onto the golf course in a big way.
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